Flove Love

I am a flove-loving kind of a gal. It's A-OK to love a flove. This is an old flove made from leftover yarn of another flove (soon to be featured on Teabeans). This flove was designed by me, Katiebeans, with a feature I love love floved on an old pair of mitten-floves my mom got for me for Christmas one year. I don't know if it has an official name, but I call it the "thumb." Creative, no? But whenever I look for floves, I have trouble finding ones with "thumbs!" As you can see in the sign-language E above, the top of the thumb folds off like a mini-mitten, just for the thumb. It's an amazing feature!

Have you loved yer flove today?!

Snowy Day Sweater Dress

Hi everybody! Snow is the theme for blog nobbing these past days! I finally finished the sweater dress I have been dreaming of for a year now. It is called Snowy Day. The first sweater dress I made took a mazillion years. After hat fest 2008, I saw how quickly I could make stuff with big puffy yarn and thought it would be perfect for my dream sweater dress.
I started crocheting in rounds from the neck down using the original pattern I had used for Sunday in Greenwich. I found a square pattern for the chest, and I switched to sc for the mid section. The top part of the dress is made with dc-ch in rounds, and the sleeves are sc in rounds. I sewed in a working button on the back, which I think adds an extra charming touch. I finished with a shell stitch I learned from Crochet magazine. The shell stitch is dc-sc in one stitch around, turn, and dc-sc the other way. After a LOT of measuring, trying on, and pulling stitches out, I finally have an adorable and super warm sweater dress! I ended with a green color from my Mossy Beret, and I may still add pockets to match.

This is the first project I have tried to work out gauges for because I was so mad that the first version didn't work out. The gauges worked great, but as usual, I have not written anything down. Katiebeans's collection remains a mystery.

The first time I wore this dress was to see Wicked on Broadway. The bathroom attendent complimented me while I was in line, saying my dress was so cute. She was blown away when I told her I made it. Needless to say...I was PSYCHED!!!

Postscript: I wanted to make a sweater dress that was both fashionable and unique. Here is an example of a sweater dress sold at Urban Outfitters:

Snowflake Floves & Pattern

Hello! Tonight I am going to try to write down my first pattern. I came up with this idea for a stitch and thought it would look pretty on a flove. I hope that no one else has come up with this stitch before, but someone probably has. I call it a "snowflake" stitch (although it is more like a pattern/applique? What do you think other crocheters?).

The pattern starts in the middle of the hand and is worked downward toward the wrist.

Snowflake Floves Pattern

Notes:
Hook: USH8/5.00MM
Yarn: Alpaca (will add more info later)

Bottom Part of Hand
Ch 41
Row 1: In 2nd ch from hook, sc across (total 40 sc). Slst to first sc to form ring.
Row 2: Ch2 (acts as dc), ch 3, tch in next sc, sk 2, 3 dc in same sc keeping last loops on hook (cluster formed), sk 2, tch pulling last yarn over through all 3 dc and tch, ch 3, *dc, ch 3, tch in next sc, sk 2, 3 dc in same sc keeping last loops on hook (cluster formed), sk 2, tch pulling last yarn over through all 3 dc and tch, ch 3* repeat from * 3 more times, (total of 5 snow flake bottoms formed). Sl st to ch 2 from beginning.
Row 3: Ch2 (acts as dc) in top of ch2 from Row 1, sk 2, tch in top of 3 dc cluster, ch 3, 3 dc in top of 3 dc cluster, ch 3, tch in top of 3 ch cluster, sk 2 *dc in top of dc, sk 2, tch in top of 3 dc cluster, ch 3, 3 dc in top of 3 dc cluster, ch 3, tch in top of 3 ch cluster, sk 2* repeat from * 3 more times (total of 5 snow flake tops formed). Sl st to ch 2 from beginning.
Row 4: Ch 1, *3 sc over top of 2 ch sp, 3 sc over top of next 2 ch sp, ch 1* repeat from * 5 more times (total 30 sc). Sl st to ch 1 from beginning.
Row 5: Ch 1, sc in each sc and sc in ch 1 sp across (total 35 sc). Sl st to ch 1 from beginning.
Row 6: Ch 1, sc in each sc across (total 35 sc). Sl st to ch 1 from beginning.
Do not fasten off.

Wrist
Ch 21 (or longer depending on how long you want the wrist). Now working perpendicular to previous stitches on garment.
Row 1: On 2nd ch from hook, hdc in each ch across (total 20 hdc). Sl st to sc on hand in blo.
Row 2: Ch 1, turn, hdc in flo across (total 20 hdc).
Row 3: Ch 2, turn, hdc in flo across (total 20 hdc). Sl st to sc on hand in blo. Sl st to next sc on hand in blo.
Row 4 - 15: Repeat rows 2 - 3.
Row 16: Sl st each hdc on row 15 to row 1.
Do not fasten off.
Note: I shortened my rows in row 2 so that the wrist decreased in length. Optional of course and I left this off to make the pattern easier to follow.

Shell Edging
In Row 3 of Wrist you start with ch 2 so there should be little spaces at the end of the wrist.
After sl st to join wrist, turn, and start working perpendicular.
Row 1: Ch 1, *6 sc in 2 ch sp of wrist end, sc in next 2 ch sp* repeat from * around and finish with sl st to first ch 1.
Fasten off.

Top Half of Hand
Switch colors and begin at start of first piece. Work in rounds on right side of garment so snowflake stitches match.
Row 1: Sc in each sc across, sl st to beginning.
Row 2: Ch 10 sk 4 sc, sl st (thumb loop formed), sc, *dc as closely to above dc in first snowflake, stitch, ch 3, tch in next sc, sk 2, 3 dc in same sc keeping last loops on hook (cluster formed), sk 2, tch pulling last yarn over through all 3 dc and tch, ch 3* repeat from * 3 more times (4 snowflake bottoms made), dch in same sc as tch and sl st to thumb loop.
Row 3: Sc over thumb loop, dc over first dc from row 2, *sk 2, tch in top of 3 dc cluster, ch 3, 3 dc in top of 3 dc cluster, ch 3, tch in top of 3 ch cluster, sk 2, dc in top of dc* repeat from * 3 more times (4 snowflake tops made), sl st to thumb loop.
Row 4: Sc over thumb loop 4 times, sl st to snowflake stitch, turn, sc over thumb loop, sl st to snow flake stitch, turn.
Row 5: Sc over thumb loop, *3 sc over 2 ch sp on snowflake top, 3 sc in next 2 ch sp, ch 1* repeat from * 3 more times, sl st to beginning sc.
Row 6: ch 1, *6 sc in sc, sk 1, sc, sk 1* repeat from * 7 more times (total 8 shells).
Fasten off.

Thumb
3 Rows sc with decreases (sc tog 3 times) or however fits. Last row sl st.
Fasten off.

I would love if someone would try this and tell me if the pattern works! Maybe I will want to make these later after my website blows up, and fools be wanting my wares.

Are You Dying?

I mean...are you? You should be dying of cuteness overload right now.

Dad Dad Daddy-O Blanket

When I started college in 2000, I met a girl who taught me how to crochet square blankets. She showed me how to crochet hdch clusters in rounds and how to change colors. I made an incredible black and red blanket that started with 7 rows of black, then 1 row of red, then 6 rows of black, 2 rows of red, 5 rows of black, and so on in that fashion. The blanket ended up to be about 6 sq ft or more, and it was super awesome. Unfortunately, I gave it away; and I will never see it again or have a picture of it. It's kind of like the big legendary fish that got away but is still discussed by old fishermen at the bar and when they buy their bait at the bait shop. Or wherever they might buy their bait. Well the fish blanket legend lives on in the Dad Dad Daddy-O Blanket. Crocheted exactly as the original fish blanket, Dad Dad Daddy-O currently resides in a closet in Pittsburgh, a testament to why you don't crochet elaborate gifts for people who don't ask for them.Side note, I am using a version of Microsoft borrowed from a friend since my computer crashed, and apparently if you don't/can't register it, the software loses many of its applications. I am worried my Microsoft Office Picture Manager will give out and a friend recommended Picnik. Honestly, check it out. It is amazing.

Hat Fest: FIN

And so Hat Fest comes to an end with Le Chapeau de Tara. This is the final version of the Reversible Sweater Dress/Hat. I stopped increases on the original pattern I was following when I thought the hat was big enough. I added a brim using a pattern I found online, stitching it to the beanie in blo to create a division between the parts. Then I finished with slst in every st around the hat, and I did slst over the brim to further create the division. Comfortable and warm, Le Chapeau is a simple hat for any occasion!

You in One of My Hats

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